Strength Training on a calorie deficit?

Start now, no need to wait.
If you are doing Starting Srength follow the progamme for the weight increase.

Cheers, h.

The other posts are spot on, but here are some other tidbits.

You will likely read that gaining muscle requires a calorie surplus. While it's true that a calorie surplus is optimal for adding muscle, it is not an absolute requirement. If performed correctly (progressive overload and sufficient protein intake) you can gain some muscle while in a caloric deficit: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/3/738/4564609

Even if you don't gain muscle, you will at least increase your chances of mitigating muscle loss. Most people lose significant muscle mass in addition to fat loss during extended weight loss if they don't add strength training.

Also, you can gain strength without gaining muscle. There are other adaptations that will be triggered in your body to adapt to the increased load.

Yes, you should slowly increase either the weight or the reps during your journey. Another option is to slowly add more exercises to the routine while also increasing weight or reps for the existing exercises. My motto with fitness is "Start with a little every week and every week do a little more"

75in2013 wrote: »

FitAgainBy55 wrote: »

Also, you can gain strength without gaining muscle.

I'm not sure if I understand this point.

Increase in lean muscle mass is one type of response to strength training but there are others (neuroendocrine adaptations, even cardiovascular adaptations) that contribute to strength. I will not pretend to understand those adaptations in detail but can tell you that it is certainly not a controversial topic -- you will gain strength even when you don't gain muscle.

75in2013 wrote: »

My goal is to gain strength. I don't really care about "looks" or "muscle volume" (if that makes any sense). I expect that at some point I have to gain muscle to gain more strength?

You should care about gaining or at least retaining muscle -- not because of appearance but because of your long term health and the increased metabolism you get from muscle mass.

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck !

75in2013 wrote: »

Thanks everybody! I'll start next week after my regular blood donation!

FitAgainBy55 wrote: »

Also, you can gain strength without gaining muscle.

I'm not sure if I understand this point.

My goal is to gain strength. I don't really care about "looks" or "muscle volume" (if that makes any sense). I expect that at some point I have to gain muscle to gain more strength?

Chieflrg wrote: »

At the rate you are losing weight I wouldn't expect a great success with any program but training is better than not and probably somewhere around 8 weeks you will be ready for more advanced programming.

If you slow your weight loss down to something more reasonable like .5-1lb a week you will probably feel a bit better

I think I only lost so much weight because I started with a BMI of 34.6.

My first goal is to reach 30 (overweight, not obese anymore). Then I'll adjust my calories so that I won't lose as fast anymore.

Chieflrg wrote: »

[...] running that program in particular since it is linear and lacks load management.

Is there a program that is better suited for me? I only know SS. But I would like to stick with the compound exercises. I want my main exercises to be squat and dealift for now.

Although your BMI is more than likely a rough guesstimate of your body composition. Waist measurement is suggested to be more accurate screening tool.

For a non asian male we are takking getting below 36" so not be higher risk.

BMI is just a screening tool. Not considered to be accurate for many reasons by itself.

Starting strength is fine to begin with to any untrained person. Just about any program will yield results in that case.

I just would waste my time with the idea of deloading that program or many of the suggestions post completion of it by the author(s). There simply better options after if you plan to run it or not.